A Light in the Window
by Shy neko
Summary: Christmas story. XF


Heh. I got the idea for this fic while making Christmas cards. It's a X/F (I'm starting to think I can't write anything else…) Christmas story. Enjoy.

-I don't own Slayers-

A Light in the Window

In a castle room on an island filled with wolves a purple haired priest silently paced. Back and forth, back and forth, and then once more, a question plaguing his heart and mind. Pacing, wondering… Was there a light left shining? A light that remained for him? No. There couldn't be. That had been years ago. Far too many years ago.

The priest paused in his pacing as he felt a silent call summoning him forth. He vanished from the room…

…And reappeared, kneeling, in what could only be the throne room. At the front of the room, lounging in the 'throne' was a tanned woman holding a cigarette. Blowing out smoke the woman eyed her silent servant, "Rise, Xelloss." The trickster priest did as commanded, though he remained silent and his usual grin was replaced by a rather emotionless face. One of Zelas's eyebrows rose slightly at her minion's strange behavior; something was bothering her general-priest. "Xelloss?"

"Hai, Juuou-sama?"

She blinked. Was there a tint of sorrow? regret? to his voice? Slowly she opened herself up enough to take in his emotions. …Despair? And sorrow, longing… What caused them to be so strong? True, she had noticed those feelings in her child for a while now, but they had never been this strong before. Was it something about to-

"Did you require something of me, Juuou-sama?"

She blinked again, only now realizing how long she'd been silent. "It can wait." Xelloss raised his slightly, surprised, while Zelas narrowed her eyes, studying him. "Xelloss, what is today?" The emotions her priest had been giving off suddenly intensified, crashing in to Zelas from all sides, slightly disorienting her.

Xelloss's head bowed once more, bangs hiding his eyes in their shadows, "…Christmas eve, Juuou-sama."

Reorienting herself, Zelas paused. His voice had been very soft, so soft, in fact, that she had had trouble hearing him herself. So it was something about today. Christmas eve, huh? Strange human tradition, that. Even that ex-priestess celebrated it for some reason. …ex-priestess? Where had that thought come from? What ex-priestess? Confused, she poised another question, "Xelloss? Do we know any ex-priestesses?"

Xelloss's head snapped up in shock as he looked at his mistress. Quietly, unable to keep the sadness from his voice, he replied, "Hai, Juuou-sama…"

"What is her name?"

Even quieter, "…Filia ul Copt…"

There! There it was! That longing… The dragon girl was the cause of her priest's troubles. When was the last time he had seen her anyways? "Xelloss? When was the last time you visited the dragon girl?"

He swallowed, "Filia?"

"That is not an answer, Xelloss."

He looked away, "…seven years, three days, five hours, and twenty-one minutes…"

Zelas blinked. He knew down to the precise minute? He was never that accurate! He never kept that much track of time… "Would you like to see her again?"

He cringed slightly, afraid of angering her. "I would, Juuou-sama, very much."

She sighed. "I do not allow you to leave without orders to do so, do I?"

Despair flowed from him as he answered, "No, Juuou-sama, you don't."

Another sigh. "Go, Xelloss. Spend Christmas with the one you long to see once more."

His head snapped up in surprise once more, shocked eyes open as he stared at the Dark Lord, "Juuou-sama?"

"You heard me, Xelloss, now go."

"Hai, Juuou-sama!" He bowed quickly and was gone, leaving Zelas to shake her head bemusedly.

-

Meanwhile, in a small snow covered town by the sea, night began to fall. The villagers hurried home. No one would stay up late this night; after all, tomorrow was Christmas. As the night grew darker the lights went out, one by one. Soon all the windows were dark. All but one. It had become a common sight in the town, the one lone light that would remain lit for all of that night, and only that night.

Above the door beside the lit window hung a sigh painted to hold a mace and vase. The building was shop-home. Part of the building was a shop while the rest was a home. Within the door, through the shop, up the stairs, and within the second door on the left was a child's room. Sleeping on the bed within was a young ancient dragon. Another door down and to the right was another bedroom. However, the occupant of this room was not sleeping as well the child. She slept restlessly, tossing and turning and muttering things to quietly to be made out. Both were waiting for morning.

Back outside, across the street from the shop, a figure slowly materialized in the light from the window. Upon noticing the light the priest garbed form smiled slightly before vanishing into the shop-home, putting out the candle's flame now that its light was no longer required.

Morning. An aqua haired youth and a blond appeared the top of the stairs. The youth spend down the stairs and into the room with the beautifully decorated tree and carefully wrapped gifts. The woman followed, though much slower then her charge. She paused at the bottom of the stairs, noticing that he had not yet entered the room, "Val-chan? Is something wrong?" Coming up behind him she peered into room… And squealed with delight. Pushing past the young Ancient she ran across the room and into the mazoku's waiting arms. "I didn't think you'd be coming back…"

Xelloss grinned, "Then why'd you keep a light in the window?"

"Because I couldn't not light it? What would happen if you did come back and I hadn't lit the candle? I wouldn't be able to bear it."

"I'm here now. So, are you still willing to teach me about Christmas?" Filia laughed and pulled the trickster over to the couch…

-

Later that night, after Jilas and Gravos and come and gone, Filia thought about the day and, glancing across the table at the man sitting there, decided that this had been the best Christmas ever.

Back on Wolfpack Island a silently smirking Dark Lord agreed.

-the end-

I'm not sure as to how good it is, but I had to write it.  
By the way, I'm not sure if this is a stupid question or not, but, umm, what's a beta reader?  
Oh yeah, please review too. Thanks.


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